Blowing Glass Is What I Enjoy Most!

Ahead of her upcoming glass exhibition, we visited the studio of Tomomi Kawakami, who is currently in the midst of her busiest production season.
Kawakami’s work is filled with a fresh and youthful sense of form.
Casual and vibrant, her glass pieces blend naturally into contemporary dining tables and interiors.
Her strawberry glasses, ribbed glasses, pitchers, and Flower Mall mini bowls are just a few examples of pieces that have become modern classics within only a few years of their debut.

While her popularity continues to grow year after year, Kawakami remains remarkably energetic, constantly taking on new creative challenges.
How exactly are those distinctive glass pieces brought to life?
At the heart of her workshop, we had the opportunity to talk with her about craftsmanship, creativity, and the thoughts behind her work.

Next to the workshop is Kawakami’s sample room.
Shelves are lined with the many glass pieces she has created over the years.
Seeing them displayed together in various shapes and sizes only adds to their charm.
Before you know it, you find yourself picking them up one after another, completely absorbed, as time slips pleasantly by.

The sample room is filled with glass pieces everywhere you look. Its delicate transparency creates a wonderfully calming atmosphere.

“Blowing glass is what I enjoy most!” Kawakami says this without hesitation. As she spends her days working in the studio, ideas constantly come to mind: “Maybe this plate should be larger?” “Wouldn’t it be cute if this glass had a foot?” “Rather than thinking, ‘I want to make a piece for serving a particular dish,’ I usually get inspired while I’m making something. I start wanting to make it square, or round, and I enjoy challenging myself to bring those ideas to life.”
Perhaps it is precisely because her work is not overly driven by practicality that it possesses such an open, generous character.

“I’m not particularly good at cooking, so the hardest moments are when customers at exhibitions ask me, ‘What should I serve in this?’ The more I feel they’re expecting an answer, the less I can think of one!”
Kawakami says with a cheerful laugh. Together with her partner, Saito, even stories of production struggles and mistakes become amusing anecdotes once they are in the past. Their lively exchange keeps the workshop filled with laughter.

“This glass is one of my new pieces,” she says, serving us chilled green tea in a clear glass.
“I arrange small square air bubbles in the base, but it turned out to be more difficult than I expected. I’m still struggling to get it just right,” she laughs.

The contrast between the simple body of the glass and its thick, substantial base is particularly interesting.
When you hold it, it feels reassuringly solid rather than overly light. The square bubbles in the bottom are charming as well, making it suitable not only for cold tea, but also for coffee jelly, plum wine, and more.

“Sometimes it works well, and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m still experimenting and figuring things out,” says Kawakami.
We always look forward to seeing her new glass designs each year, but it is clear that creating something new is never easy.
Even now, nearly fourteen years after becoming independent, she approaches new work with genuine excitement and curiosity. Watching her take on fresh challenges was truly inspiring.

Kawakami’s workshop is located about fifteen minutes by car from the nearest station. At the end of May, fields were being prepared for cultivation, and many flowers had been planted along the ridges. The plants growing directly in the ground seemed full of vitality.

Freshly tilled soil, dark and full of air, softly covered the ground. According to the traditional Japanese seasonal calendar, “Bōshu” (Grain in Ear) was just around the corner, marking the beginning of the busy farming season.

The rice paddies, freshly planted, stretched out before us filled with water. In this peaceful environment, Kawakami devotes herself to glassmaking.

Now, into the workshop. At the very back stood the furnace crucible. It emitted a distinctive roaring sound as the temperature continued to rise.

Kawakami efficiently begins her preparations. One tool after another is carefully arranged.

It is hard to imagine that these heavy-duty tools are used to create such charming glassware. Each one serves a different purpose depending on the piece being made.

Today, she will make a stemmed glass. “I’m not great at matching sizes, so I need to measure everything carefully!” she says, setting up with a serious expression.

With everything prepared, the glassmaking begins.

The crucible seems to have reached the proper temperature.

This is the inside of the crucible. The brightness is so intense that it is impossible to stare at it directly. This is what molten glass looks like. When you get close, the heat and glare are overwhelming—you can only manage a quick glance.

Amid the intense heat and brightness, Kawakami focuses intently on the tip of the blowpipe.

She has gathered the amount of glass she needs. The glowing red color is not a pigment. It is simply the appearance of the glass at such a high temperature, ready to be shaped.

Surprisingly little air is blown in at a time. It is nothing like inflating a rubber balloon.

As soon as she blows, she immediately begins shaping the glass. The temperature drops quickly, which explains the efficiency and precision of Kawakami’s movements.
That is also why only the necessary tools are prepared beforehand and placed exactly where they are needed.

Careful temperature control is essential for each stage of the process. A variety of tools come into play.

Back into the crucible for a moment…

Then she blows again.

Gradually, the shape and size begin to take form.

Into the crucible once more…

This time, it is immediately placed into a mold to create the textured pattern.

Vertical lines appear!

Additional patterns are applied in crossing directions as the shaping continues.

The form is beginning to round out beautifully.

There is even hands-on work involved in refining the shape… She is actually holding it with her hands! And there is smoke coming off it!

Once the bowl of the glass has reached the desired size and length, a separate gather of glass is wrapped around it to form the stem.

The base is pressed against a paddle-shaped board to flatten it. The heat causes smoke to rise.

With the stem attached, the next step is shaping the bowl of the glass. A pontil rod is attached to the stem, allowing the blowpipe to be removed.

The moment the blowpipe is detached.

Now the bowl of the glass can finally be shaped. Little by little, it is opened up by hand.

The glass is repeatedly stretched and widened little by little. Throughout the process, the pontil rod is constantly rolled, keeping the glass rotating and maintaining its shape while the work continues.

It is heated again in the crucible.

It opens! The shape is complete.

The pontil rod is removed…

Then the rim is finished with a burner. From here, the piece is placed in an annealing kiln, where the temperature is gradually lowered overnight.
Once it has completely cooled, the signature is added and the piece is finished.

Finished!
It instantly makes you want to pour a fresh juice into it. It would also be perfect for iced coffee, beer, or wine… A stemmed glass this versatile is truly something special.

Ice because it’s hot outside? Not quite—this bucket is filled with glass fragments. These are small pieces of glass that were knocked off the blowpipe or pontil rod with a sharp tap.
They were the points of connection that repeatedly linked the rods and the glass during the making process. Perhaps they are something like an umbilical cord.

So much care, effort, and intense heat go into creating these pieces, yet glass remains something that can shatter if dropped.
Looking at these glass “umbilical cords,” I was reminded once again of both the preciousness and fragility of all things that take shape.
It makes you want to cherish and use them for many years to come.